Among the many costs incurred during an upgrade of a kitchen, the largest are generally associated with replacing cabinets and appliances. But the daunting price of upgrading these items doesn’t have to indefinitely delay sprucing up the kitchen, even during a national recession.
An alternative more Baltimoreans might consider is shopping among discount appliance stores that offer new or used appliances and cabinets for a fraction of the cost of sprawling home stores. This approach can save cash for other upgrade necessities, while helping to keep appliances out of landfills.
Here are some online resources that can help in finding new and used low-cost kitchen appliances:
» secondchanceinc.org has information on appliances and cabinets available at its Warehouse 4.
» baltimorerestore.org generates revenue that benefits Habitat for Humanity, and customers can order low-cost custom cabinets.
»loadingdock.orghas details on what is available, as well as an explanation of the $10 annual membership fee.
The binge of home remodeling in recent years has left a lasting legacy of appliances flying into the nation’s landfills, according to statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2007, the agency found 3.6 million tons of large household appliances and 1.4 million tons of small appliances were junked.
That’s not a worry at the Baltimore ReStore, affiliated with the Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity. The nearly year-old store sells a wide variety of donated appliances and cabinets, about 70 percent of which otherwise would have gone to a landfill, according to Mark Bendann, the shop’s director.
“Good appliances go fast here,” he said about the area’s demand for low-cost alternatives.
The store has seen solid demand for both the new appliances — priced 50 percent below retail — and used appliances up to seven years old. Its policy of refunding sales for defective appliances within seven days of purchase may help that popularity among cautious newcomers to the recycled appliance market.
Another area option is Second Chance Inc., in Baltimore, which has a warehouse dedicated to appliances and cabinets. Among its offers are basic dishwashers that start at $5 and stainless steel models priced from $100. New appliances donated to Second Chance are regularly reduced in price over the first two months they are in the store.
“But most don’t last that long,” said Cheryl Weckesser, warehouse director.
Many of these stores’ customers seek gas ranges and refrigerators for rental units or for emergency replacements when an appliance unexpectedly fails. But everyday home renovators are welcome at these stores and at the Loading Dock, another low-cost appliance destination in Baltimore, which has a small annual membership fee.
Those shopping for a replacement appliance should first measure the size of the space they want to place it in and then check whether the replacement needs to be a gas or electric model, Bendann said. Also, it’s a good idea to bring a vehicle that can carry an appliance, but most reuse stores will hold onto a paid-for appliance for a few days while you arrange for pickup.
